Document: pub/resources/text/exeout/EXEOUT11.TXT
"JESUS, THE WAY" by Mark A. Copeland
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JESUS, THE WAY
CONTENTS
Introducing Jesus As The Way...
Jesus, The Way To A Better Life
Jesus, The Way To Forgiveness
Jesus, The Way To God
Jesus, The Way Out Of Religious Confusion
Jesus, The Way To Eternal Life
Finding Jesus, The Way
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"JESUS, THE WAY"
Introducing Jesus As The Way...
INTRODUCTION
As we begin this series of studies, I would like to start by having you
ask yourself several questions:
* Do you have problems?
* Are you confused in things pertaining to life itself?
* Do you feel lost, with a sense of despair?
If you do, don't feel like you are alone. About the time of Abraham, a
person who was experiencing a great deal of suffering said:
1 Man [that is] born of a woman [is] of few days, and full of
trouble. 2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he
fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. (Job 14)
These words, spoken nearly four thousands years ago, express the
sentiments of millions today. Now, however, there is a way out: JESUS
CHRIST! As He Himself said:
I am the way, the truth, and the life... (John 14:6)
Yes, to everything that truly good, both in this life and the one to
come, JESUS CHRIST IS THE WAY!
In this study, I want to introduce several areas in which Jesus is truly
"THE WAY". Succeeding lessons will expand upon these themes, but in
this lesson I simply wish to whet your appetite. For example, Jesus
is...
THE WAY TO A BETTER LIFE
On one occasion, Jesus stated His purpose in coming to this earth:
...I am come that they might have life, and that they might
have [it] more abundantly. (John 10:10)
This "abundant life" Jesus offers is more than simply life in the
"hereafter". Though He dos not promise wealth or luxury, He does
assure us of:
1) A loving Father in Heaven, Who cares for His children. As
Jesus taught in His "Sermon on the Mount":
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or,
What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your
heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and
all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6)
2) More than sufficient provision for those who are willing to
follow Him as "THE WAY". As we read on another occasion:
29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is
no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father,
or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the
gospel's, 30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this
time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and
children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come
eternal life. (Mark 10)
Therefore, it is not surprising to find that the happiest people in the
world are those who have most completely committed themselves to
following Jesus as "THE WAY". As the apostle Paul wrote, even though
he was under house arrest at the time:
11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in
whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content. 12 I know both
how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in
all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both
to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through
Christ which strengtheneth me. (Philippians 4)
And when the apostle Peter wrote to Christians undergoing extreme forms
of persecution, he could honestly say:
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need
be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the
trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that
perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto
praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see [him]
not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of
glory: (1 Peter 1)
Jesus is also...
THE WAY TO FORGIVENESS OF SINS
He is the ONLY solution to a very serious problem...the most serious
threat to our well-being that we face: SIN! This is because everyone
of us is guilty of sin:
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans
3:23)
And sin is not without its consequences! Often physical, but always
spiritual! Unless the problem of sin is resolved, the ULTIMATE
consequence is eternity in hell!
But through Jesus Christ, God has made provision for the forgiveness of
our sins! Out of love, God offered Jesus as the "propitiation" for
our sins:
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that
God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live
through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that
he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our
sins. (1 John 4)
Through His blood shed on the cross, Jesus provides forgiveness for our
sins:
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7)
After His sacrificial death for us, Jesus explained how those lost in
sin could be saved; it involves repentance on our part...
46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved
Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47
And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in
his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24)
It also involves faith and baptism...
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16:16)
But to be truly happy, we need more than just the forgiveness of sins;
we need to be restored to the close union with God which we lost by our
sins.
In this also, Jesus is our answer, for He is...
THE WAY TO GOD
Many religions, claiming to be Christian, are almost totally silent
about the new relationship Jesus provides with God, the Father. About
all they seem to talk about is "Jesus, Jesus, etc." or "Holy Spirit,
Holy Spirit, etc." Could this indicate a lack of real understanding of
Jesus' purpose?
Jesus came to this world to reconcile man back to God the Father. As
Paul told the Corinthians:
18 And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to
himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of
reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling
the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them;
and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now
then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech
[you] by us: we pray [you] in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to
God. (2 Corinthians 5)
As we have already noted, Jesus claimed to be the only way to the
Father:
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no
man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)
Why emphasize this point? Because one does not truly experience what
it means to have "eternal life" without having an intimate relation-
ship with the Father, as well as with the Son. And this is exactly
what Jesus has to offer us! As He mentioned in His prayer before His
trial and crucifixion:
1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and
said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son
also may glorify thee: 2 As thou hast given him power over all
flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast
given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee
the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John
17)
Yes, that "eternal life" Jesus offers to us includes "knowing" the
Father as well as the Son!
The way to a better life, the way to forgiveness of sins, the way to
God...what wonderful blessings! But there is more. Jesus is also...
THE WAY OUT OF RELIGIOUS CONFUSION
Consider the plight of many who wish to follow Jesus. They are confused
and even repelled by the multitude of different churches and
conflicting doctrines being offered by those who profess to be His
church.
But one does not have to be a part of this confusion! Jesus Himself
certainly does not approve it. He taught us that:
Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation;
and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
(Matthew 12:25)
Before His betrayal and arrest, we find Jesus praying fervently...
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall
believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one;
as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may
be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that
they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in
me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may
know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast
loved me. (John 17)
How can we even begin to hope to have this unity of which Jesus
spoke? It helps to remember that Jesus promised to build HIS church:
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this
rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)
Despite the efforts of man and Satan to destroy it, or otherwise change
it, they shall not prevail! Even today, when someone obeys the words of
Jesus Christ, they are added by the Lord HIMSELF to His church:
Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the
Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (Acts
2:47)
In His church, we can enjoy the unity of which Paul wrote to the
Ephesians...
4 [There is] one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in
one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6
One God and Father of all, who [is] above all, and through all,
and in you all. (Ephesians 4)
But finding His church and enjoying this unity is experienced
only as we follow Jesus as the way out of religious confusion.
Finally, let me point out that Jesus is...
THE WAY TO ETERNAL LIFE
Death is inevitable (unless Jesus returns first), and as the author
of the epistle to the Hebrews wrote, it is followed by judgment:
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the
judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)
In this way, death becomes the door, either to eternal life or to eternal
condemnation. In His description of the Judgment scene, Jesus outlines
only two alternatives...
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the
righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:46)
To die in Jesus is to die in the way to life eternal! As the apostle
John wrote in the book of Revelation:
And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed
[are] the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith
the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their
works do follow them. (Revelation 14:13)
Yet another wonderful blessing in following Jesus as "THE WAY", to find
that He is the way to eternal life!
CONCLUSION
I hope that I have sparked your interest in wanting to learn more about
Jesus as "THE WAY". As I mentioned at the outset of this study, the
other lessons will elaborate upon these great blessings provided only
through Jesus.
My purpose in this series is two-fold...
1) For those who are Christians, to increase their appreciation of
Jesus as their Lord and Savior, so they will want to serve Him
with greater zeal;
2) For those who are not Christians, to encourage them to let
Jesus be THEIR way to everything that is truly good, both in this
life and in the life to come!
"JESUS, THE WAY"
Jesus, The Way To A Better Life
INTRODUCTION
In the preceding lesson, we introduced the theme of this study as being
"Jesus, The Way". In this lesson, we shall concentrated our attention
on the subject "Jesus, The Way To A Better Life".
The popular goal of our generation is "the good life". This dream is
not new. It has been the desire of every age and every walk of life--of
teachers and philosophers, of kings and common men.
But to the truly good life, as to every good thing, JESUS IS THE WAY!
To see how this is true, consider first of all that...
JESUS CORRECTS OUR MISCONCEPTIONS
Most people think of the "good life" in terms of material prosperity,
pleasure, and popularity. Why do people think this? Nearly everyone
would agree that two words sum up what the "good life" is all about:
HAPPINESS and PEACE. Many suppose that material prosperity,
pleasure and popularity will bring us these two things. But even a
cursory observation reveals that most wealthy, high-living, famous
people are extremely unhappy and lacking inner peace.
Jesus, the way to true happiness and peace, corrects the misconception
that such things as those mentioned above bring us happiness. He teaches
that there is more to life than material possessions:
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness:
for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things
which he possesseth. (Luke 12:15)
In addition, He offers a peace which things of the world cannot give,
and a joy which is complete and full:
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the
world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in
you, and [that] your joy might be full. (John 15:11)
What the world cannot give, Jesus can. How does He do it?
JESUS LEADS THE WAY TO A BETTER LIFE
First, by identifying and rooting out the real problem. What is the
cause of so much unhappiness in this world? What deprives so many of
inner peace? Is it not things like immorality, thefts, murder? Is it
not things like coveting, deceit, envy and pride? Such things destroy
families, friendships, and property. What then is the cause of these
things?
Jesus declared that the source of all these things to be the sinful
hearts of men:
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil
thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts,
covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye,
blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come
from within, and defile the man. (Mark 7)
James, the Lord's half-brother in the flesh, concurred with this
diagnosis:
1 From whence [come] wars and fightings among you? [come they]
not hence, [even] of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye
lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot
obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
(James 4)
It is one to thing to identify the problem; what has Jesus done to
provide a solution? The apostle Paul explains in his letter to Titus:
3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient,
deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice
and envy, hateful, [and] hating one another. 4 But after that
the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according
to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and
renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly
through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his
grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal
life. (Titus 3)
Out of kindness, love, mercy and grace, God through Jesus Christ has
saved us and made us righteous in His sight! This took place when we
experienced the "washing of regeneration" and "renewing of the Holy
Spirit" (a reference to the act of baptism, in which one who believes
in Jesus is truly born again of water AND Spirit! - Jn 3:5).
In other words, Jesus removes the problem of unhappiness and lack of
inner peace by first removing the cause: SIN! But there is more...
Secondly, Jesus leads the way to true happiness and peace by teaching
us to seek new goals in life. He warns us of the folly of seeking
after riches:
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and
rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
(Matthew 6:19)
Riches are perishable, and open to theft; therefore, He teaches us to
put our treasure in heaven:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither
moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break
through nor steal: (Matthew 6:20)
But how does one go about laying up treasure in heaven? It involves
living for Jesus, even under the most adverse conditions:
22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall
separate you [from their company], and shall reproach [you], and
cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. 23
Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your
reward [is] great in heaven: for in the like manner did their
fathers unto the prophets. (Luke 6)
Of course, living for Jesus means to follow His teachings; for example:
But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for
nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be
the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful
and [to] the evil. (Luke 6:35)
Yes, our reward will be great, and even now we can have great happiness
knowing that it can never be stolen, nor will it perish, for it is
reserved for us in heaven!
Finally, Jesus leads the way to true happiness by giving us what we do
not expect! Once we learn not to make material things, pleasure, and
fame our goals in life, but to instead make following Jesus and His
teachings our goal, He then provides us an unexpected portion of these
very things!
For example, He promises the provision of those material things we need,
if we will but put God first...
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or,
What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your
heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and
all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6)
28 Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and
have followed thee. 29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say
unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or
sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands,
for my sake, and the gospel's, 30 But he shall receive an
hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters,
and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in
the world to come eternal life. (Mark 10)
In addition to material things, Jesus provides a form of pure pleasure
or happiness:
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in
you, and [that] your joy might be full. (John 15:11)
What kind of "joy" is Jesus talking about? A joy that is "unspeakable",
unable to describe adequately with words, as Peter tells those Christians
who were experiencing terrible persecution:
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see [him]
not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of
glory: (1 Peter 1:8)
And what about fame? Yes, if we will but follow Jesus and seek to lay
up our treasure in heaven by following Him and His words, we will one
day experience "fame" that is "out of this world"! Consider these
passages which describes what lies ahead for the true disciples of
Jesus Christ:
When Christ, [who is] our life, shall appear, then shall ye also
appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4)
10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be
admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you
was believed) in that day. 11 Wherefore also we pray always for
you, that our God would count you worthy of [this] calling, and
fulfil all the good pleasure of [his] goodness, and the work of
faith with power: 12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may
be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our
God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1)
Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the
glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:14)
We can look forward to sharing in the wonderful glory (fame) that Jesus
Himself will have when He comes again! How much "better" could life
get?!
CONCLUSION
The world sets before us goals which many people cannot achieve, and
even if achieved, often do not satisfy. As one of the richest men who
ever lived once wrote:
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he
that loveth abundance with increase: this [is] also vanity.
(Ecclesiastes 5:10)
But Jesus places before us goals which CAN be achieved, and that DO
satisfy:
* ALL can store up treasure in heaven
* ALL can live for Jesus
And if there is any doubt that doing this brings lasting happiness and
a much better life even now, just look any individual you may know who
is TRULY following Jesus. Outwardly they may be suffering persecution,
social ostracism, or physical illnesses; but even then they still have
that joy that is full, that peace which is unspeakable.
If you are not happy, if you are not at peace in your heart, if you are
looking for a better life, why not let Jesus be "THE WAY" for you?
Let Him take care of your problem of sin, which is the true cause of
unhappiness in life! Let Him be your guide in giving you new direction
in this life! Let Him be your key to the "good life"! As Jesus
Himself said:
I am come that they might have life, and that they might have
[it] more abundantly. (John 10:10)
The following lessons will expand on how...
"JESUS, THE WAY"
Jesus, The Way To Forgiveness
INTRODUCTION
We have seen that Jesus is THE WAY to a better life, even here on earth.
But much more importantly, Jesus is the way to forgiveness for our sins!
To understand WHY we need forgiveness and HOW Jesus provides the way to
forgiveness is the purpose of this lesson. It is important, then, that
we begin by properly defining sin...
THE DEFINITION OF "SIN"
Many people have THE WRONG CONCEPTION of sin. They think it is nothing
more than a violation of human relationships; that an action is sinful
ONLY if it is frowned upon by society, violates their own conscience, or
is harmful to someone else.
Such a misconception of sin leads people to a misconception of how the
problem of sin can be corrected. For example, some believe that
correcting sin involves nothing more than making things right with
other people. With this misconception, they think they are forgiven of
all past actions if they simply change their behavior.
But what is THE BIBLICAL DEFINITION of sin? The Bible actually defines
three different types of sin. First, there is the direct violation of
God's Law. The apostle John describes sin in this way:
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is
the transgression of the law. (1 John 3:4)
For example, where God's law tells us not to steal, we sin when we steal
something. This is commonly referred to as the SIN OF COMMISSION (where
we commit something that displeases God). Another kind of sin is found
in James' epistle:
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth [it] not, to
him it is sin. (James 4:17)
This is the SIN OF OMISSION, where you fail (omit) to do that which
you know to do. For example, when I know Jesus tells me to love my
enemies, I sin when I do not display love towards them. The apostle Paul
mentions yet another kind of sin:
And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because [he eateth]
not of faith: for whatsoever [is] not of faith is sin. (Romans
14:23)
For lack of better words, this is the SIN OF VIOLATING YOUR CONSCIENCE.
In this case, the thing you are doing may be right in and of itself,
but if you cannot do it with a clear conscience, you are sinning! The
example found in Romans 14 pertained to someone who because of earlier
religious training before becoming a Christian had difficulty eating
meat without a guilty conscience. Paul would have the brother whose
faith is weak to abstain from eating meats, and even calls upon brethren
who are strong in faith to be careful not to put any enticements in the
brother's way which might wound his conscience.
So we see that sin is more than simply a violation of human relationships
(though it often involves that); sin is a serious matter that involves
God and His Will! How serious is sin? By considering the consequences
of sin as described in the Bible, we begin to appreciate its terrible
nature. As Paul wrote in the book of Romans:
For the wages of sin [is] death... (Romans 6:23)
This "death" of which he speaks is ultimately described as the "second
death" which involves eternal torment for those who die in their sins:
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and
murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and
all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with
fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)
Why is sin considered so bad that unforgiven sinners must experience
such torment? To understand why, we must appreciate...
THE NATURE OF GOD AND THE PROBLEM OF SIN
God's nature is such that it is very difficult for a sinner to be
acceptable before Him. First, God is supremely HOLY. His holiness
makes any "truce" with sin impossible. The Psalmist understood this
aspect of God's nature:
4 For thou [art] not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness:
neither shall evil dwell with thee. 5 The foolish shall not
stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. 6 Thou
shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the
bloody and deceitful man. (Psalms 5)
Because God's holiness cannot tolerate sin, sin serves to separate man
from God:
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and
your sins have hid [his] face from you, that he will not hear.
(Isaiah 59:2)
Not only is God supremely holy, He is also supremely JUST. His
justice demands that sin be punished accordingly. As examples of the
strict justice of God, notice what happened to the sons of Aaron when all
they did was offer in sacrifice something God had not commanded:
1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them
his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and
offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them
not. 2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them,
and they died before the LORD. 3 Then Moses said unto Aaron,
This [is it] that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in
them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be
glorified. And Aaron held his peace. (Leviticus 10)
Even Moses and Aaron, the servants God used to lead the children of
Israel, had to learn the hard way that sin must be justly dealt with.
When they struck the rock instead of speaking to it as God commanded,
they lost the right to enter into the promised land of Canaan:
And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me
not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel,
therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land
which I have given them. (Numbers 20:12)
And since we have already seen that the ulimate penalty for sin is
eternal torment, all this tells us two things:
* How HOLY God must be!
* How TERRIBLE sin must be!
As we begin to realize these things, we should see that MAN is in a
terrible predicament. For you see, the Bible has judged that ALL of
mankind is guilty of sins:
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans
3:23)
And the very nature of God (holy and just) demands separation of sinners
from God and punishment for our sins!
Can man do anything to help himself? There are no "works" that a person
can do to make himself innocent of the guilt of his or her sins. For
example, a man who commits murder is not made innocent of that crime by
living the rest of his life by the law! Yet many people think that they
save themselves by balancing their good deeds against their sins!
But sin of any kind is so repulsive to God's HOLINESS that His JUSTICE
requires punishment. Look again at the sins referred to earlier:
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and
murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and
all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with
fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)
Whether the sin is fear, lack of faith, lying, or murder, the "second
death" is reserved for those who are guilty. Do you think that your
sins are few and therefore not worthy of such punishment? Even is you
commit just ONE sin, the nature of sin in the sight of a holy God is
such that you are as guilty as one who broke every law:
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one
[point], he is guilty of all. (James 2:10)
Since we are all sinners (Ro 3:23), it appears that we are all doomed
to suffer God's justice! Is there any way that can be both HOLY and
JUST and yet allow sinful man to be "reconciled" to Him? Yes, there is,
and Jesus is THE WAY!
JESUS, THE WAY TO FORGIVENESS OF SINS
God has provided the way by offering Jesus as a "propitiation" for our
sins:
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and
sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. (1 John
4:10)
The word "propitiation" originally referred to an act or sacrifice that a
man offered designed to appease a god. As used in the Bible, it refers
to that which GOD has done (not man). In other words, what man cannot
do for himself, God has done! He has offered His Son Jesus on the cross
as a means to appease His JUSTICE. Such was foretold by Isaiah nearly
700 years earlier:
5 But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised
for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him;
and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have
gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the
LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53)
10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put [him] to
grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he
shall see [his] seed, he shall prolong [his] days, and the
pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 He shall see
of the travail of his soul, [and] shall be satisfied: by his
knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall
bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53)
Notice that by the act of Christ's suffering the punishment due us for
our own sins, we are forgiven of them. As Paul would later write:
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7)
Through Christ's death on the cross, we can come back to God, having
been forgiven of our sins! In this way, God is able to:
* Preserve His HOLINESS when we are in His presence (for our sins
have been forgiven by the blood of Christ)
* Maintain His JUSTICE (for our sins have been properly punished
by the death of Christ)
* All the while demonstrating His LOVE, GRACE, and MERCY!
And so, Jesus is "THE WAY" to forgiveness of sins, for He has been made
a "propitiation" for our sins! But how does one receive the wonderful
blessing of having Jesus as the "propitiation" for our sins?
RECEIVING JESUS AS THE WAY TO FORGIVENESS
After His death for our sins, and following His glorious resurrection
from the dead, Jesus charged His apostles with the commission to spread
the good news:
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach
the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be
damned. (Mark 16)
We read in the book of Acts of how the apostles carried out this "Great
Commission". In chapter two, just ten days after Jesus ascended into
heaven, we find Peter proclaiming the gospel for the first time. After
presenting evidence that Jesus has truly risen from the dead and
ascended to the right hand of God, Peter comes to climax of his sermon:
Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God
hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and
Christ. (Acts 2:36)
Yes, this same Jesus they had crucified only fifty days earlier was the
actual Lord and Messiah they had been looking for. Evidently many
people believed what Peter said, for we read next:
Now when they heard [this], they were pricked in their heart,
and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men [and]
brethren, what shall we do? (Acts 2:37)
"What shall we do?", they cried. What can anyone do, who has realized
that they are sinners in need of salvation? What Peter told them is
what we should tell anyone today:
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of
you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and
ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38)
Peter told these people who evidently believed (as evidenced by their
question in verse 37) that they needed to repent and be baptized. In
similar fashion, when Saul of Tarsus (later known as the apostle Paul)
had seen Jesus on the road to Damascus, and had been praying and fasting
for three days afterward, he was told by Ananias whom the Lord had sent
to him:
And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away
thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. (Acts 22:16)
Just as Jesus commanded in Mark 16:16, when someone wanted to be saved
through the blood of Jesus Christ, in the New Testament they were told
to be baptized for the remission (forgiveness) of their sins upon their
believing in Jesus and repenting of their sins. Faith (which includes
confessing Jesus as Lord, Ro 10:9-10), repentance and baptism were
the conditions by which one could receive Jesus and enjoy the blessings
of forgiveness of sins!
Receive Jesus in baptism? Yes, so the apostle stated in his letter to
the Galatians:
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on
Christ. (Galatians 3:27)
Note: "as many of you" (no more and no less) "as have been baptized
into Christ" (as Jesus, Peter, etc., commanded) "have put on Christ"
(have received Jesus and all the blessings He offers).
Thus, in obedience to the Lord in faith, repentance and baptism we can
take advantage of the wonderful grace of God, Who offered Jesus for our
sins!
CONCLUSION
I leave with you the fact that Jesus is "THE WAY" to forgiveness;
indeed, the ONLY WAY, for no other way has by offered by God by which we
can be reconciled to Him. As Jesus said:
I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto
the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)
And no other way devised by man solves the dilemma between man's sin
and the holiness and justice of God!
Have you accepted Jesus in the way He commanded and His apostles taught?
Have you trusted in Him for salvation (faith), made the decision to turn
from your sins (repentance), and been immersed for the forgiveness of
your sins (baptism)?
If not, why not? Let Jesus be your way to forgiveness today!
"JESUS, THE WAY"
Jesus, The Way To God
INTRODUCTION
In the last lesson, we saw that by His death on the cross, Jesus made
possible the forgiveness of our sins. When our sins are forgiven, we
are no longer the objects of God's wrath. As Paul stated in his
wonderful epistle to the Romans:
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be
saved from wrath through him. (Romans 5:9)
As wonderful as being justified by the blood of Jesus may be, we need
more than this...we need the kind of close friendship that existed
between God and Adam before the "Fall". But if a close relationship is
to exist between God and ourselves, we must understand God and feel
comfortable in approaching Him.
When we contemplate the difference between God and man, we can see that
this is not easy...
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOD AND MAN
Think for a moment on the difference between God and man; when we
consider the nature of God as revealed in the Bible and nature, we see:
* One with unlimited POWER, unlimited WISDOM, unlimited HOLINESS
* One who is the CREATOR of all things, the SUSTAINER of all
things, the KNOWER of all things
* One who is ETERNAL, IMMORTAL, and INVISIBLE
Indeed, this SUPREME BEING fills the entire universe with His PRESENCE:
23 [Am] I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?
24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see
him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the
LORD. (Jeremiah 23)
On the other hand, man is mortal, finite in knowledge and understanding.
Man is the CREATED one, the one who is sustained by the God who supplies
all his needs. As Paul proclaimed in his sermon at Athens:
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that
he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with
hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he
needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and
all things; 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for
to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the
times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after
him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28
For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also
of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. (Acts
17)
The difference between God and man is so great, it ought to overwhelm
man with awe. Notice the reflections of David as expressed in the Book
of Psalms:
1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast
searched me, and known [me]. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and
mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 3 Thou
compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted [with]
all my ways. 4 For [there is] not a word in my tongue, [but],
lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. 5 Thou hast beset me
behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. 6 [Such]
knowledge [is] too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot
[attain] unto it. 7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or
whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into
heaven, thou [art] there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou
[art there]. 9 [If] I take the wings of the morning, [and] dwell
in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand
lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, Surely
the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about
me. 12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night
shineth as the day: the darkness and the light [are] both alike
[to thee]. (Psalms 139)
In the Bible, whenever man came even close to approaching God in His
Glory, it was terrifying! For example, notice what happened when God
first spoke to Moses:
Moreover he said, I [am] the God of thy father, the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid
his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. (Exodus 3:6)
At Mount Sinai, the Israelites were likewise terrified:
18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings,
and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when
the people saw [it], they removed, and stood afar off. 19 And
they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but
let not God speak with us, lest we die. 20 And Moses said unto
the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his
fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. 21 And the
people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick
darkness where God [was]. (Exodus 20)
How then can man hope to comprehend God and approach Him in a close
relationship during this life? This difficulty was experienced and
expressed by Job in one of the earliest books of the Bible. Speaking
of God, Job said:
32 For [he is] not a man, as I [am, that] I should answer him,
[and] we should come together in judgment. 33 Neither is there
any daysman betwixt us, [that] might lay his hand upon us both.
(Job 9)
But what may have been true in Job's day (that there is no "daysman",
or "mediator") is no longer true today! JESUS is the means by which
man can comprehend God and also approach Him in such a way as to enjoy
a loving relationship with Him!
Let's see how...
HOW JESUS IS THE WAY TO GOD
Jesus provides THE WAY to God, first by helping us to COMPREHEND God.
This Jesus did by coming to this earth. As John wrote in his gospel,
Jesus declared or manifested God to us:
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which
is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared [him]. (John
1:18)
How was Jesus able to "declare" (manifest) God? For one thing, He came
to this earth FROM God, and is the only one who has truly seen Him:
Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God,
he hath seen the Father. (John 6:46)
But also, Jesus is able to "declare" God because He is GOD HIMSELF!
This John clearly states in the prologue to his gospel:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God.
(John 1)
Who is this "WORD" that was with God and WAS God? The One who came in
the flesh! As John says later:
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld
his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)
full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
The "WORD" was Jesus! Therefore, it is in seeing Jesus that we are
able to comprehend the Father. Just as Jesus told His disciples:
If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and
from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. (John 14:7)
In similar fashion, the apostles of Jesus proclaimed that He was the
complete manifestation of God:
For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
(Colossians 2:9)
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time
past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days
spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all
things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the
brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person,
and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by
himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the
Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1)
Yes, it is in JESUS that God is revealed in terms that mortal, finite
man can comprehend and personally relate to. Therefore, as we study the
gospels, we see Jesus and His attributes (power, wisdom, holiness, love,
mercy, divine wrath). As we see Jesus, we see God and His attributes!
But Jesus also provides the way to God by helping us to APPROACH God.
This we touched upon in our previous lesson, how that by offering
Himself as a propitiation for our sins Jesus has made it possible for a
sinful man to approach God who is supremely holy and just. But Jesus
helps us to approach God in yet another way, as our HIGH PRIEST in
heaven. As the author of Hebrews wrote:
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed
into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our]
profession. (Hebrews 4:14)
Though Jesus was truly God (as stated by John and Paul), by becoming man
He fully understands our difficulties:
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like
as [we are, yet] without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)
With such a wonderful high priest in heaven, One who is both God and
has been man, Jesus makes it possible for us to approach God with great
confidence:
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we
may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
(Hebrews 4:16)
Yes, through Jesus we can both COMPREHEND God and APPROACH God, making
it possible to have a close relationship with our Heavenly Father,
enjoying all the blessings such a relationship provides!
In order that we might better appreciate the beauty of this relationship
available with God through Jesus, let's briefly notice some terms used
in the New Testament to describe this relationship...
TERMS USED TO DESCRIBE THOSE WHO IN JESUS
First, there are terms which proclaim a special relationship with our
Heavenly Father. For example, we are called the "children" of God:
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
(Galatians 3:26)
Also, we are called the "house" (family) of God:
But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to
behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the
living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. (1 Timothy 3:15)
There are also terms which proclaim a special relationship with a Holy,
Supreme Being. One describes us as a special dwelling place of God,
i.e., the "temple" of God:
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are
the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in
them, and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they
shall be my people. (2 Corinthians 6:16)
Another descriptive term speaks of our role in service to God, that we
are a "royal priesthood":
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an
holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to
God by Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5)
But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy
nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises
of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous
light: (1 Peter 2:9)
CONCLUSION
Other terms might be considered, but these suffice to show that it is
possible for those who were once lost in sin to enjoy a new, personal,
intimate and fulfilling relationship with the Majestic God in heaven!
And what a wonderful relationship it is! One that offers promises that
overwhelm you; for example, this one where God promises:
I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. (Hebrews 13:5)
But let us be clear in our understanding...Jesus is the "THE WAY", the
ONLY WAY to God:
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no
man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)
Only those who are IN Jesus can have the assurance of enjoying this
wonderful relationship with God!
How can we be sure that we are IN Jesus, and as such the children of
God? By taking to heart and life the truth of God's Word. For example,
the apostle Paul spoke of how one can BECOME the children of God:
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put
on Christ. (Galatians 3)
By faith, when we are baptized into Christ, we "put on" Jesus Christ,
and in this way become the children of God. We REMAIN the children of
God by abiding faithfully in the teachings of Christ:
Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of
Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ,
he hath both the Father and the Son. (2 John 1:9)
Have you become a child of God by receiving Christ in faith and baptism?
If not, why not today? If you have, are you maintaining your relation-
ship with both the Father and the Son by abiding in the doctrine of
Christ? If not, why not be restored to God today (through repentance
and prayer)?
Only in so doing can you let Jesus by YOUR way to God!
"JESUS, THE WAY"
Jesus, The Way Out Of Religious Confusion
INTRODUCTION
Many people who wish to follow Jesus are repelled by the multitude of
denominations and conflicting doctrines and practices taught by those
professing to be Christians. Such distaste for denominational division
is in keeping with the spirit of the New Testament. For example, the
night before His crucifixion, we find Jesus praying:
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall
believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one;
as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may
be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
(John 17)
Jesus prayed fervently for unity "that the world might believe". I
appreciate this concern of Jesus every time I try to teach Muslims, Jews,
Hindus, atheists, etc. The apostle Paul, also, was concerned with the
problem of division, and spoke by inspiration against it:
10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and [that] there be no
divisions among you; but [that] ye be perfectly joined together
in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it hath been
declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them [which are of the
house] of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now
this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of
Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13 Is Christ divided?
was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of
Paul? (1 Corinthians 1)
Sounds a lot like denominational division today, doesn't it? But while
some denominational leaders like to justify their existence, we know
from the Scriptures that such religious confusion does not come from God!
Consider:
For God is not [the author] of confusion, but of peace, as in
all churches of the saints. (1 Corinthians 14:33)
Since God is not the author of such confusion, what is its source? The
apostle Paul gives us a strong hint several times in his epistles. To
the religiously divided church at Corinth, he said:
3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas [there is] among you
envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk
as men? 4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I [am]
of Apollos; are ye not carnal? (1 Corinthians 3)
Where religious division exists, "carnality" is at work! And Paul
warns us in his letter to the Galatians that it is one of those things
that can keep one out of the kingdom of God:
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these];
Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry,
witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife,
seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness,
revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I
have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things
shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5)
The words "seditions, heresies" in the original Greek describe exactly
the denominational world around us today!
But even so, is it possible for people today to simply be Christians,
and not a contributor to the denominational division of today? YES!
And Jesus shows us THE WAY OUT OF RELIGIOUS CONFUSION!
Notice Jesus' own example in the religious climate of His day...
THE EXAMPLE JESUS HAS SET FOR US
When Jesus came to this earth, the Israelites were living under the Law
of God as given by Moses. In that law, God had not made any provision
for the division of His people into religious sects or parties. Yet,
by the time of Jesus, the Jews had formed several distinct religious
parties:
* Pharisees (somewhat conservative)
* Sadducees (very liberal, the "modernists" of their day)
* Essenes (radical isolationists)
* Herodians, Zealots (political religionists)
It was assumed that all who were serious about religion would be
associated with one of these groups.
To which of these groups did Jesus belong? He belonged to NONE of these
groups! Instead, He maintained a "non-sectarian" relationship with God
to the very end. As an Israelite, living at a time when the Law of
Moses was still in effect, He was simply an "Israelite". In addition,
He encouraged all to live by the Law while it was still in effect:
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets:
I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say
unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall
in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments,
and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the
kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the
same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I
say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed [the
righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case
enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5)
In other words, He encouraged all to simply be what the Law of Moses
intended them to be ("Israelites").
What would Jesus be today, if He were on earth? Would He be a Baptist,
or Catholic, or Presbyterian, or Methodist, etc.? If He was simply an
Israelite then, would He not simply be a "Christian" today? That was
certainly what His disciples came to be called:
And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
(Acts 11:26) [The word "called" in the Greek suggests that
it was a name given by God Himself; perhaps the "new name"
foretold by Isaiah in Is 62:2?]
In any case, the example Jesus has set for us is clear: just be what
God originally intended under the Law which is in effect. Since in the
New Testament (the "law of Christ" cf. 1 Co 9:21) the disciples of
Christ were called "Christians", so we should be!
Not only should we be content with being "called" Christians, we should
also be concerned with "just being Christians". NOTHING MORE, NOTHING
LESS! But how can we be sure that we are simply Christians, members of
the church we read about in the New Testament?
It helps to see what the Bible tells us about the Lord's church...
THE LORD'S CHURCH
Jesus promised to build HIS church:
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this
rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)
The word "church" comes from the Greek word EKKLESIA, which means "a
called-out group, an assembly, a congregation". Therefore, Jesus was
promising to create His own group of people who have been "called".
How does this "calling" take place? According to the apostle Paul, we
are "called" by the gospel of Christ:
Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the
glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:14)
On the first day of Pentecost after the ascension of Jesus Christ, we
see by preaching the gospel Peter "called out" those who were willing
to express their faith in Jesus:
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one
of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and
ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise
is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off,
[even] as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many
other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves
from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received
his word were baptized: and the same day there were added [unto
them] about three thousand souls. (Acts 2)
Notice that those who gladly responded in faith, repentance and baptism
were "added". To what and by whom were they "added"? We find the answer
in verse 47:
And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
(Acts 2:47)
The day of Pentecost was the beginning of the Lord's church (His
"ekklesia"). This "called-out" assembly or group was created when the
gospel was proclaimed and people responded to it. At first, the church
existed only in Jerusalem.
As the gospel spread, and people responded to it, groups of these saved
people in various cities met together, and each group became known as a
church in a "local" sense (in contrast to the church "universal" which
is made up of all those saved throughout the world). For example,
during Paul's first missionary journey, we read:
21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had
taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and [to] Iconium, and
Antioch, 22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, [and]
exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through
much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. 23 And when they
had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with
fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.
(Acts 14)
By simply teaching the gospel of Christ, a local church was formed when
those who obeyed the gospel joined together in their work and worship.
Though united in Christ, these local churches were independent of any
human association or federation of churches. Christ directed them
through His inspired apostles, as they taught them how to worship and
work together.
Sometimes, this teaching by the apostles was done directly, or by
appointed emissaries:
For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved
son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into
remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every
where in every church. (1 Corinthians 4:17)
Just as often, the teaching was done through the epistles or letters
written by the apostles:
If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him
acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the
commandments of the Lord. (1 Corinthians 14:37)
14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee
shortly: 15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou
oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the
church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. (1
Timothy 3)
14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of
the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore, brethren,
stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught,
whether by word, or our epistle. (2 Thessalonians 2)
And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man,
and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. (2
Thessalonians 3:14)
When we see what the Bible tells us about the Lord's church, we learn
that by responding to the gospel and then paying close heed to the
"apostles' doctrine" (cf. Ac 2:42), people in the first century were
able to be Christians only, without all the confusion prevalent today.
But is it possible for us to do this today? YES!
AVOIDING DIVISION BY FOLLOWING JESUS
First of all, we can begin by obeying the same instructions that Peter
gave on the Day of Pentecost:
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of
you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and
ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38)
By repenting of our sins, and being baptized for the remission of our
sins, we would then receive the same blessings as did the 3000 on that
day: SALVATION! By being saved in this manner, we KNOW that the Lord
truly adds us to HIS church just as He added them:
And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
(Acts 2:47)
What then? Since the early Christians (who continued stedfastly in the
apostles' doctrine - Ac 2:42) joined no other religious organization,
NEITHER SHOULD WE! By being in Christ, we are automatically united with
all others who are in Him!
But as members of the Lord's church, we should study carefully the New
Testament description of that church. This description is found in the
Book of Acts and in the Epistles which follow it. It is here that we
will find instruction from the Lord's apostles on HOW:
* To worship the Lord acceptably
* To be scripturally organized as local congregations
* To live and work together as Christians, spreading the gospel
of Christ through word and example
Since the apostles were guided by the Holy Spirit, we may be sure their
instructions were exactly what Jesus wanted them to be! If we duplicate
the early churches by following the apostles' instructions, we will
simply be "Christians", and we can be certain the Lord is pleased with
us. As Jesus said to His apostles about those who would receive or
reject their instructions:
He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you
despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent
me. (Luke 10:16)
CONCLUSION
Simply being a Christian, and duplicating a New Testament congregation
is not as difficult as one might think. There are literally thousands
of such congregations throughout the world. THERE IS LIKELY ONE IN YOUR
AREA RIGHT NOW! (Feel free to contact me if you would like to try and
locate the nearest one.)
And so, by following the example and teachings of Jesus, as revealed by
His apostles, we can be led out of the religious confusion that
dominates the religious world today!
Do you want to be simply a Christian, a member of the Lord's church we
read about in the New Testament? If so, then I plead with you to first
render obedience to the gospel of Christ as proclaimed by Peter and all
the apostles (cf. Ac 2:38). You have the assurance of God's Word
that you will then be added by the Lord Himself to His church (cf. Ac
2:47).
Then, you have the responsibility to learn and follow the apostles'
doctrine and you serve the Lord Jesus in your life. As Luke recorded
concerning the first Christians:
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and
fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts
2:42)
If you have not yet responded to the commands of the gospel as put
forth by Peter in Ac 2:38, why not let the reaction of those who did
on the Day of Pentecost describe your actions today:
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the
same day there were added [unto them] about three thousand
souls. (Acts 2:41)
"JESUS, THE WAY"
Jesus, The Way To Eternal Life
INTRODUCTION
We have considered how Jesus is truly THE WAY to many good things: He is
the THE WAY...
* TO A BETTER LIFE (by correcting misconceptions and teaching us to
seek new goals)
* TO FORGIVENESS OF SINS (by offering Himself as a propitiation, or
sacrifice, for our sins)
* TO GOD (by helping us first to comprehend God, then to be able to
approach Him in a close, personal relationship)
* OUT OF RELIGIOUS CONFUSION (through His own example, and by guiding
us through His apostles' doctrine)
In this study, we shall see why we can also say "Jesus is the way TO
ETERNAL LIFE".
Please Note: In this study we shall be considering those passages
which use the expression "eternal life" as a FUTURE HOPE, which will be
realized after this life. In the writings of John, the expression
"eternal life" is often used differently, referring to that "abundant
life" which stresses a new relationship with God and Jesus, and is a
PRESENT POSSESSION of those who have come to "know" them (cf. Jn 17:3;
1 Jn 5:13,20)
WHY JESUS IS THE WAY TO ETERNAL LIFE
There are several reasons why Jesus is the way to eternal life. First,
He is the One Who has prepared a place for us. As He told His
disciples the night before His crucifixion:
In my Father's house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I
would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John
14:2)
Also, He is the One Who will come and receive us to Himself. As Jesus
continued to say to His disciples:
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and
receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be
also. (John 14:3)
The apostle Paul also spoke of this wonderful event, in which Jesus
will come for His disciples:
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we
which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall
not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ
shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive [and] remain shall
be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord
in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thess 4)
Perhaps a more sobering reason why Jesus is the way to eternal life is
this one: He is the One Who will judge as to who will enter in life
eternal! In describing the future judgment scene to His disciples, we
find Jesus saying:
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy
angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall
separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth [his]
sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right
hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto
them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
(Matthew 25)
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from
me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and
his angels: (Matthew 25:41)
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the
righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:46)
Paul wrote of the role Jesus would perform as the Judge who determines
our fate:
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that
every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body, according
to that he hath done, whether [it be] good or bad. (2 Corinthians
5:10)
How essential, then, that we be found acceptable in HIS sight!
In a more positive vein, Jesus is the way to eternal life because:
Together with God, He is what makes eternal life so wonderful! As
the "beloved disciple" (John) wrote in the revelation given to him:
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven
and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from
God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the
tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and
they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them,
[and be] their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from
their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor
crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former
things are passed away. (Revelation 21)
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and
the Lamb are the temple of it. 23 And the city had no need of
the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of
God did lighten it, and the Lamb [is] the light thereof.
(Revelation 21)
1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as
crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2
In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the
river, [was there] the tree of life, which bare twelve [manner
of] fruits, [and] yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves
of the tree [were] for the healing of the nations. 3 And there
shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb
shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 4 And they
shall see his face; and his name [shall be] in their foreheads. 5
And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle,
neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and
they shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 22)
Did you notice what was said about Jesus in these passages? He is
described as:
* The "bridegroom"
* The "temple"
* The "light" (or lamp)
* The source of "the water of life"
Yes, it is Jesus who will make eternal life what it is! This may help
us to appreciate the aspirations of the apostle Paul:
We are confident, [I say], and willing rather to be absent from
the body, and to be present with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8)
For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and
to be with Christ; which is far better: (Philippians 1:23)
When we understand all this, would there be eternal life without Jesus?
NOT ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE! Jesus is truly THE WAY to eternal life!
Since Jesus IS the way to eternal life, should we not also consider
what Jesus has to say about it?
WHAT JESUS TEACHES ABOUT ETERNAL LIFE
First, eternal life is "a prepared place for prepared people". People
are not going to stumble into it by "accident". In His sermon on the
mount, Jesus warned His disciples:
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide [is] the gate, and
broad [is] the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there
be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait [is] the gate, and
narrow [is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be
that find it. (Matthew 7)
The way to life is such that few find it, and lack of preparation is
the reason! Jesus taught several parables to stress this point,
including the parable of "The Wedding Feast":
1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and
said, 2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which
made a marriage for his son, (Matthew 22)
11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a
man which had not on a wedding garment: 12 And he saith unto
him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding
garment? And he was speechless. 13 Then said the king to the
servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast
[him] into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth. 14 For many are called, but few [are] chosen. (Matthew
22)
Another parable, "The Ten Virgins" (Mt 25:1-13), teaches the same
point: one must be prepared to enter eternal life. In fact, Jesus said
later in His sermon on the mount that being a religious person in of
itself does assure one of eternal life:
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter
into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my
Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day,
Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name
have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart
from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7)
Doing the Father's will is HOW we make preparation to enter into the
wonderful life eternal that Jesus has prepared for us! And this
requires "diligence" on our part. As the apostle Peter said in his
second epistle:
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your
calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall
never fall: 11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you
abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1)
Jesus also taught something else about eternal life: the only
alternative is eternal condemnation! In other words, the only
alternative is HELL, which Jesus describes as "a prepared place for
UNprepared people":
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from
me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and
his angels: (Matthew 25:41)
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the
righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:46)
This terrible place of everlasting condemnation is vividly described by
Jesus in the revelation He gave to His servant John:
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of
fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are],
and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 11 And I
saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face
the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place
for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before
God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened,
which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of
those things which were written in the books, according to their
works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and
death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they
were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and
hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was
cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20)
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and
murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and
all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with
fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)
And note carefully, this is the ONLY place that people will stumble
into accidentally! As we saw earlier:
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide [is] the gate, and
broad [is] the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there
be which go in thereat: (Matthew 7:13)
"Many" go in to the way that leads to destruction, because they simply
follow the crowd. Making no effort to come to know God and obey the
gospel of Christ, they face a terrible fate when Jesus comes again:
7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus
shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In
flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that
obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be
punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the
Lord, and from the glory of his power; (2 Thessalonians 1)
"Punished with everlasting destruction", what a terrible alternative to
the eternal life Jesus offers!
CONCLUSION
But though God and Jesus have prepared such a fate for those who "know
not God" and "obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ", They
certainly do not WANT people to experience this! As Paul wrote to the
young evangelist Timothy:
3 For this [is] good and acceptable in the sight of God our
Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto
the knowledge of the truth. 5 For [there is] one God, and one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave
himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Tim 2)
In order that "eternal life", and not "everlasting destruction", might
be the destiny of all men, God has provided the most precious thing to
Him as the MEDIATOR between sinful man and Holy God: JESUS - His
Beloved Son, and THE WAY to all that is good, both in this life and the
one to come!
But if what one does accept Jesus as the Way? Then he or she is
destined to:
* life with little direction here on earth!
* die in their sins!
* be forever separated from God!
* go through life in religious confusion!
* go through eternity in eternal condemnation!
How much better to come to Jesus, and let Him be your WAY to:
* a better life!
* forgiveness of sins!
* a loving and close relationship with God!
* out of religious confusion!
* eternal life, with all its prepared glory!
If you haven't, obey the Lord Jesus and His gospel today!
"JESUS, THE WAY"
Finding Jesus, The Way
INTRODUCTION
In this series, I have attempted to present Jesus as "THE WAY" to many
blessings. Indeed, He is the source of EVERY spiritual blessing that
God has to offer:
Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly
[places] in Christ: (Ephesians 1:3)
But how can we be sure that we have found the TRUE Jesus and are truly
His disciples? Jesus made it clear that simply believing in Him does
not constitute true discipleship:
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye
continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed; (John
8:31)
How can we be sure that we are not actually following some CARICATURE,
a misrepresentation of Jesus, presented to us in error by others who are
sincerely mistaken themselves (such as our parents, preachers, churches)?
To be sure that we have truly found Jesus, The Way, we must begin with
the only reliable source of information about Him: THE BIBLE!
Surprising as it may be to some, a good place to start is with the OLD
TESTAMENT...
FINDING JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Though completed hundreds of years before Jesus was born, the Old
Testament contains many things about Him. Jesus made this point on at
least two occasions after His resurrection. First, to the two disciples
on the road to Emmaus:
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto
them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke
24:27)
Then, later with the apostles themselves:
44 And he said unto them, These [are] the words which I spake
unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be
fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and [in] the
prophets, and [in] the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he
their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved
Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47
And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in
his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24)
Years later, the apostle Paul reminded the young evangelist Timothy of
the value of the Old Testament Scriptures in making one wise concerning
the salvation that is in Jesus:
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and
hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned [them];
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures,
which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith
which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3)
How can this be? From the Old Testament we see Jesus through the eyes
of prophecy! For example, from Isaiah we can learn such things as:
* The Birth of Jesus...
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a
virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his
name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
* The Suffering of Jesus...
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows:
yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was]
bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace
[was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we
like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his
own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
(Isaiah 53)
* The Sovereignty of Jesus...
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and
the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall
be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of
[his] government and peace [there shall be] no end, upon the
throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to
establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth
even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform
this. (Isaiah 9)
Many more prophecies could be taken just from Isaiah alone (one reason
why he is commonly called "The Messianic Prophet"). Other prophets
have much to say about Jesus. It has been estimated that there are more
than 330 prophetic statements about Jesus found in the Old Testament!
So we should read the Old Testament in our efforts to find the true
Jesus! But as important as it is in helping us to find Jesus, it's
purpose was predictive, to prepare people for Jesus. As Paul reminded
the Galatians:
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring us] unto
Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that
faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. (Gal 3)
Therefore, to find Jesus more fully, we must also come to the gospels...
FINDING JESUS IN THE GOSPELS
It is here that we find the most complete record of Jesus' life and
teachings while on earth. By God's Divine Providence, we are blessed
with four different gospels, each with its different emphasis...
* MATTHEW emphasizes the "teachings" of Jesus (especially in
regards to the kingdom of heaven)
* MARK features the "miracles" of Jesus, showing His power
* LUKE underscores the "humanity" of Jesus (without detracting
from His divinity)
* JOHN stresses the "divinity" of Jesus (without detracting from
His humanity)
Though accenting different aspects of Jesus' life and teachings, they
all have the same basic purpose: TO CREATE FAITH. As expressed by
John in his gospel:
30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his
disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are
written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son
of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
(John 20)
The gospels help us to see Jesus through the eyes of FULFILLMENT, as
they carefully document how He fulfilled Old Testament prophecy (this is
especially true with Matthew).
They also reveal what Jesus actually taught; therefore, no one can know
Jesus without reading these gospels carefully. When we do, we may often
be surprised to find out how DIFFERENT the real Jesus is and what He
actually taught, from the one imagined by many! For example, many feel
that they are going to heaven when they die; but Jesus taught that most
will not:
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide [is] the gate, and
broad [is] the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there
be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait [is] the gate, and
narrow [is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be
that find it. (Matthew 7)
Among those who will be surprised at the Day of Judgment will be many
who thought they knew and served Jesus in their lifetime:
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter
into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my
Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day,
Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name
have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart
from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7)
Contrary to the "simple believism" that many people think is what is
involved in following Jesus, by reading the gospels we learn what the
real Jesus had to say about following Him:
23 And he said to [them] all, If any [man] will come after me,
let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever
will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For
what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose
himself, or be cast away? (Luke 9)
And one gospel even ends with a charge that many people who think they
know Jesus do not take seriously:
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is
given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and
teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with
you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28)
The true Jesus left His apostles with the charge to teach would-be
disciples to "observe ALL things whatsoever I have commanded you." Does
this sound like the "Jesus" proclaimed by many today? Many people's
concept of Jesus appears to be that He allows a sort of "multiple choice"
when it comes to obeying His commandments! That is not the true Jesus!
By reading the gospels, then, we come much closer to finding Jesus and
all that He represents. But by reading the gospels we also find out
that He DID NOT reveal the complete truth while on earth! As recorded
by John in his gospel:
12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear
them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he
will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself;
but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will
shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall
receive of mine, and shall shew [it] unto you. (John 16)
Due to the apostles' inability to receive all the truth at that time,
Jesus left it up to the Holy Spirit to complete the work of guiding
them into all the truth. Therefore, to truly find Jesus and what His
Will is for us today, we must also turn to the rest of the books of the
New Testament...
FINDING JESUS IN THE ACTS AND THE EPISTLES
In the book of Acts, we see the fulfillment of Jesus' promise to send
the Holy Spirit Who would guide them into all the truth. Only ten days
after His Ascension into heaven, we read concerning the apostles:
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak
with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:4)
As one reads through the book of Acts, they see the Holy Spirit guiding
the apostles and the early church in its formative stage. Slowly, but
surely, the Holy Spirit guides them into all the truth. The Holy Spirit
even reveals things taught during Jesus' ministry but not recorded in
any of the four gospels. For example, Paul reminded the elders of the
church of Ephesus of one saying of Jesus:
Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more
blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35)
Because it was the Holy Spirit who was guiding the apostles into all the
truth, we find that the words and writings of the apostles (i.e., the
epistles) were to be received as if from Jesus Himself! As Paul wrote
to the church at Corinth:
If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him
acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the
commandments of the Lord. (1 Corinthians 14:37)
And to the church at Thessalonica:
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when
ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received
[it] not [as] the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word
of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. (1
Thessalonians 2:13)
Of course, Jesus Himself had said that those who receive His apostles
would in fact be receiving Him:
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I
send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that
sent me. (John 13:20)
An important point to be made is that the Holy Spirit did in fact guide
the apostles into ALL the truth (cf. Jn 16:13)! In other words, with
the gospels, the book of Acts and the epistles (including Revelation) we
find the teachings of Jesus and about Jesus COMPLETELY, FULLY, and
FINALLY revealed! No more revelation is needed. As Peter explained, we
have ALL that is needed to live godly lives:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge
of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as his divine power
hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and
godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to
glory and virtue: (2 Peter 1)
The apostle Paul also spoke of the completeness which the Scriptures
provide:
16 All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is]
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be
perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3)
As an example of how final the apostles' revelation of Jesus and His
teachings are to be considered, notice what Paul told the Galatians:
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other
gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let
him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any
[man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have
received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1)
So with the writing of the New Testament, we are able to see Jesus
through the eyes of COMPLETENESS! All we need to know to follow Jesus
as THE WAY is there, for us to LEARN IT, and LIVE IT! No other
revelations are needed. Our task is to simply remain true to what has
been revealed once and for all:
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the
common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and
exhort [you] that ye should earnestly contend for the faith
which was once (literally, one time for all times) delivered
unto the saints. (Jude 1:3)
But having said all this, let me emphasize finally that we only find
Jesus when we truly obey Him!
FINDING JESUS IN OBEDIENCE
As much as we may learn about Jesus and His teachings in the gospels,
Acts, and the epistles, we do not truly find Him as the THE WAY until
we begin obeying Him! Jesus Himself stressed the importance of obedience
to those who were simply believers:
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye
continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And
ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (Jo 8)
Please notice carefully: "believing on him" did not make these Jews true
disciples of Jesus! Only by continuing in His Word (obeying all that
He commanded) would they become His disciples and thereby know the truth
and the freedom it gives from sin.
On another occasion, Jesus told His apostles of the importance of
obedience:
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that
loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father,
and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. (John
14:21)
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will
keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come
unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23)
When we keep the commandments of Jesus, He and His Father will abide in
us, and we will have truly found Jesus! Or to put it another way:
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his
commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his
commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But
whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God
perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. (1 John 2)
Yes, by keeping His commandments we come to know and experience the true
Jesus in our lives! This is especially true when we come to Jesus in
faith and repentance, and submit to His command to be baptized:
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on
Christ. (Galatians 3:27)
Having received (or "put on") Christ in baptism, we are now in Christ,
where all things are "new":
Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old
things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2
Corinthians 5:17)
CONCLUSION
Yes, all things are "new", for in finding Jesus by keeping His commands
we find...
* A BETTER LIFE
* FORGIVENESS FOR OUR SINS
* RECONCILIATION WITH GOD OUR FATHER
* THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING IN THE LORD'S CHURCH (and not some
denomination begun and propagated by men)
* THE ASSURANCE OF ETERNAL LIFE
Have you found Jesus? Or are you following some cheap imitation of the
real thing, which at the best is a misconception fostered by honestly
mistaken people, or at the worst is being marketed in a slick promotion
by those seeking numbers rather than disciples?
You have truly found Jesus if you are heeding the implications of His
"Great Commission":
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is
given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and
teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with
you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28)
Those who have truly found Jesus are those who:
* Accept the authority (power) He has in heaven and on earth
* Have been baptized (upon faith and repentance) as He commanded
* Are careful to observe ALL things that He commanded
Such are the only ones who have the assurance: "I am with you alway,
[even] unto the end of the world." They are ones who have "found"
Jesus!
Let JESUS be YOUR WAY to everything that is truly good! Trust and obey
Him today!
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